Hurricane Andrew, which slammed into South Florida on Aug. 24, 1992, was the second costliest storm in modern U.S. history. Here in Miami-Dade County, which took the monstrous brunt of Andrew’s Category 5 winds, we’re observing the 20th anniversary by battening down the hatches for a new cyclone, Tropical Storm Isaac – which could be a hurricane when it passes near Tampa and the Republican National Convention. That’s a coincidental reminder that many Floridians aren’t just cursing Isaac as they put up their shutters this weekend. They’re also fuming about Governor Rick Scott and their state-run property insurance corporation, Citizens, both of whom are widely accused of trying to throw Sunshine State residents into a financial tempest.

That controversy, laid out in a Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times series this month, has a lot of recession-racked Floridians wondering if they can afford to stay on the peninsula. Scott, a Tea Party Republican who disdains just about everything in the public sector, seems especially contemptuous of Citizens, established in 2002 largely to give Floridians access to affordable hurricane insurance in the wake of Andrew. Today it’s the state’s largest property insurer, but Scott insists it’s too big, and he and company honchos are on a campaign to jettison homeowners from Citizens coverage and into the private sector. This despite the prospect that residents’ windstorm premiums, which alone can top $4,000 a year for a $200,000 home in Miami, may double or triple – provided they can even find a private carrier who wants to write windstorm policies in Florida – possibly leaving many unable to afford the coverage that their mortgages require.

Granted, it’s not ideal to rely on a state-backed insurer as much as Florida leans on Citizens, whose bosses argue that its premiums are too low and its exposure too big to weather the next Andrew. Still, a hurricane hasn’t hit the state since 2005. And Floridians might not be so irked at Citizens’ stepped-up efforts to cancel policies if it weren’t for another of Scott’s crusades: his dismantling of much of the state’s growth management apparatus, which lawmakers and civic groups designed in part to keep the peninsula’s burgeoning population and reckless development from making Florida even more exposed to the financial wreckage of hurricanes – and the insurance premium spikes that result from it. Scott, for example, has abolished the Department of Community Affairs, which helped limit chaotic sprawl and kept developers from encroaching on the Everglades.

The problem is hardly unique to Florida, as Hurricane Katrina, U.S. history’s costliest storm, so painfully reminded us in 2005. But the GOP should ponder it next week as Isaac roars by the Tampa convention. As the U.S. population keeps concentrating in areas prone to hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires and other disasters – and as factors like global warming, no matter how hard some try to ignore its presence, exacerbate those phenomena – both political parties are going to have think harder about how to better minimize the risks and absorb the costs. Low-lying coastal areas, for example, “were never meant to house as many people as they do today,” says Tim Chapin, professor of urban and regional planning at Florida State University in Tallahassee. “More rampant development will absolutely put more people at physical and financial risk.”

So let’s hope Isaac reminds the pols in Tampa – and the Democrats at their convention the following week in Charlotte, N.C., another hurricane-vulnerable state – about legislation that’s been lingering in Washington for years: a national catastrophe fund system. The “CAT Fund” would keep premiums more reasonable by pooling money from about 20 disaster-prone states and using it to help governments and insurance companies handle the costs of large-scale catastrophes like Katrina. Says Adm. James Loy, a former Coast Guard commandant and co-chair of ProtectingAmerica.org, which lobbies for better national emergency preparedness, “I’d like to think now that we’re gaining traction in Washington for this notion of a national backstop.”

The CAT Fund wouldn’t be a taxpayer-funded backstop – which matters in this age of deficit doom, when government disaster relief is strained at best. Instead, private insurance companies would contribute a portion of their policy holders’ premiums to state CAT Funds; to be eligible for national relief, the states would then contribute a portion of their money to a national CAT Fund administered by the Treasury Department. The key, says Loy, is having “three tiers accruing money over time – insurers, state funds and the national fund – sharing the burden and not relying on federal bailouts.” The fund would also support first responders, encourage smarter building codes and growth management at the state and local level and promote public education, “making it more evident to homeowners what they’re signing up for when they choose to buy a house in one of these areas,” says Loy.

Perhaps most important, Loy adds, a national CAT Fund would lure large private insurers – which have all but abandoned property and windstorm markets like Florida – back to those areas. As a result, experts like Chapin agree that Washington has to put ideas like the CAT Fund on its radar. “We’ve got to get away from the way we depend on the federal government to save everyone’s bacon in a disaster,” says Chapin, though he and others think that may inevitably require higher taxes for residents in catastrophe-prone zones. “It gives us the illusion that there’s no risk to overdeveloping these areas, that every time a disaster hits we can just build everything back the way we’ve done before.”

Chapin insists, however, that Florida, to its credit, has done a better job than most coastal states in the past 20 years improving building codes and infrastructure like drainage. Which makes Scott’s assault on smart growth management all the more distressing — all the more a reminder of how much we haven’t learned since Andrew.

Is it a legitimate storm? Maybe collectively they can will it not to happen. This is not to make light of hurricanes and the damage they cause. This is to highlight that real life crisis happens and science can guide us in making decisions.

We hear the condescending attitude towards women and we see the elitist mentality in their performance. It isn't just one of them as it is seen throughout their ranks and totally prevalent in their leaders. Mitt Romney is one of the elitist, loyal to their interests, by heritage and by financial status; he demonstrated that focus at Bain and in his complete history and he continually states it in all he says. They intend to "turn things around" on the backs of women and on the backs of the middle class; Romney has said as much and Ryan has demonstrated it in his budget, which advocates additional burden on the middle-class just to give more to the very wealthy. Listen to what they say, really listen and evaluate it, and watch their actions, objectively watch and see - they are cocksure as they pander to the 1% who provide the mega-millions for the constant propaganda aimed to con the 99%. There is no hope for the majority there, as there isn't any conscience or concern for the people, only subterfuge offered with their cocky confidence in the power, influence and money provided them - that being done with significant "strings" attached.The Republican / Tea Party has become owned and controlled by "the money". There is no doubt about that as it is obvious in their complete concentration on serving "the money's" interests, in the total support provided to them (with demands for return considerations) and in their taking the people for granted as together (with the mega-millions being spent, SuperPacs, etc.) they aggressively concentrate on conning the people and manipulating public opinion. They simply insultingly take the voters for granted as if "pawns" in their private game of politics. "Conservative" is their deceptive word but unless it means feeding the insatiable "more" (never enough) appetite of the 1% while leaving the 99% struggling, it is only "smoke and mirrors". The people need to recognize the deception aimed to dupe and control them, reject the abundant propaganda that plays on their emotions and firmly reject the "puppet" politicians who will dutifully serve only "the money", in order to convey the message that they just won't be so easily used and abused.

I lived in an area where it flooded every 10-15 years or so. Most houses were built up on cement block so that only the garages/basements flooded. For a flood to touch me now, the river would have to be 800 feet above flood stage. I moved.

I try to avoid the threads where the count gets too high. I'm not above throwing something nasty out there though before I head off to work. Or outside. Or to the store. Or to bed. Or to watch a movie.

I think the Paul supporters are pretty much done. They usually never showed up unless Ron Paul was mentioned in the thread title. I read where they might get a thank you video at the convention. Then they'll vote for Mitt. I think many more of them are going to vote for Mitt and pretend that they didn't. If RP is still alive in 2016, we'll see the same thing again.

Florida elected a nutcase in Governor Rick Scott. They can recall him. The guy does not believe in public safety or education. He has not turned around the Florida economy. Republicans are often worse than Democrats these days with their dumb ideas. If things do go bad in Florida, the question will be whether the voters there decide to punish Romney. Obama will push for Federal aid in the event of a hurricane since he is fairly desperate to get reelected.

The last thing the republican party needs is to have pictures of senior citizens racing down the highway in motorized wheelchairs trying to outrun the storm. Especially if they're all from the convention.

53_3, I worked on the lawn off and on for two full days. I did some tree trimming too. I was finishing up weed whacking down by the mailbox and a guy that lives up the road stopped in his truck and asked me how much I'd charge to do the same thing to his yard. I asked him if he had a picture of his wife.

Did anybody see a bubble chart yesterday comparing the costs of natural disasters? Can't find it this morning, either on my accustomed sites or google, so I don't know where I saw it. (Droughts and heat waves, though not storms, have been more expensive than Andrew)

Possibly in the current National Geographic issue? There's an interactive "cost of US natural disasters" bubble chart in the iPad edition, not sure about the website or paper. (Gosh, aren't we living in an interesting age!)

The graphic in the print issue is very interesting. It shows how the number of super high-cost weather events (tornados, hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, etc.) has nearly doubled over time. Part of the problems is that the weather is getting more intense, and part is that more and more expensive real estate and infrastructure is being built in harms way.

The state of Florida has been spared a direct hit on the strip at Miami Beach for years and with all of the hotels, a large tidal surge could destroy a lot of corporate money but the best part, the US government doesn't have to supply any help because the "free hand" of the market will fix it. Sure!

Because they need Florida to have any chance. They also need Ohio to have any chance at all. Florida was decided by 500 votes in 2000. It's worth the risk that even a tiny percentage could be swayed by having the convention in a pivotal state. If Mitt loses either Florida or Ohio, he's toast and watching the rest of election night will be only to see who wins the down ticket races.

Remember, it was the GOTP faction in the House that blocked the launch of the replacement satellite (replacing one that is falling out of orbit) to watch this weather phenomena because it also measured the rise in ocean temperature (oh no, global warming!).